At the forefront of their fight are two women who serve on the House Appropriations Committee, Republican Rep. Sarah Davis, of West University Place, and Democratic Rep. Donna Howard, of Austin. Both appeared at a Capitol news conference hosted by the Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition.

Howard cited state estimates that thousands more unplanned births to low-income women as a result of family planning cuts will cost Texas millions more in Medicaid payments.

The state has projected 6,480 more Medicaid births at a cost of $33 million in the current fiscal year due to the reduction in family planning expenses. In the next two-year budget period, an extra 24,000 births are anticipated at a cost of $103 million.

The battle over the Women’s Health Program in Texas has received widespread attention after Gov. Rick Perry championed a state ban on Planned Parenthood participating due to its affiliation with abortion providers.

The federal government pulled its matching funds due to the ban, saying it violated state regulations, but Texas is continuing to pay for the program out of state funds.

The separate family planning cuts, however, stripped $73 million from such services. Howard said that caused 167 clinics to lose funding and 53 to close.

The Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition is calling for funding to be maintained for the Women’s Health Program, which serves 137,000 women, and for funding to be restored to the family planning grants program.

Currently, in the family planning program, 65,000 women are being served, a drop of some 147,000 compared to before the cuts, said Dr. Janet Realini, chair of the new coalition’s steering committee.

The coalition doesn’t list Planned Parenthood as a member. Realini said the coalition was designed to present another voice to show the battle wasn’t just about that one group and to show support for women’s preventive care.

Among its members, the coalition includes The Texas Medical Association, Texas Hospital Association, Texas Nurses Association, Methodist Healthcare Ministries, National Council of Jewish Women-Texas State Policy Advocacy Network, Texas Association of Community Health Centers, University Health System, San Antonio Metro Health Clinic, South Texas Family Planning and Health Corp. and Texas Council on Family Violence.

Ana Vi Cantu and her husband, Benny, came to the Capitol from Robstown to voice their support for the program. Cantu, 29, began crying as she spoke of its importance to her family.

She and her husband each work two jobs, she said — they both deliver the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, he works in the oilfield and she works at a convenience store. She said she also goes to college, and they have three children.

Cantu said she didn’t know what she would do if she didn’t have the clinic’s services.

“We can’t afford to have another child,” she said.

Cantu said the clinic already has cut back on the days it is open and that there will be a charge for services that have been free.